Page 23 of Pucking Grey

Coach Burk calls me and Matt into his office. The rest of the team pretends to not know what’s going on as they ignore us, continuing to dress down for practice.

“Get in here. Shut the door,” Coach Burk snaps.

I don’t say a word as I sit in the chair, and I know Matt is about to say something stupid. It always goes like this. He can’t fucking help it.

Matt says, “If this is about last night, we worked it out.”

Coach Burk ignores Matt as I play with the lint on the chair’s armrest. Coach leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “And what exactly happened last night?”

“Come on, coach,” Matt scoffs.

“Grey, you did this to Matt?” He leans forward now to get a better look at my face. I glare up at him and nod.

Coach says, “I can’t hear you.”

“Yes,” I say, glancing at Matt’s black eye, swollen cheek, and busted lip.

He points at the two of us and says, “It’s been years of you two fighting. I thought we’ve come to a common ground, and now this again? Tell me, what’s going on at home.”

Matt paces behind me as he says, “Nothing’s going on at home. Our parents haven’t talked in over a year.”

Coach Burk seems exhausted of this, and I don’t blame him. “Then what is it?” he asks.

Matt can’t keep his mouth shut. “He kissed my girlfriend.”

I stare at the armrest, hating this shit.

“Madison Wilder?” Coach Burk asks, surprised.

“Ex-girlfriend,” I correct him.

“That’s not what she said last night.”

My jaw clenches as I gulp back my anger. He’s fucking joking, right?

Coach says, “Well, one of you is lying. So, which is it?”

I don’t say a fucking word because I’m sure a pornographic video would get Matt expelled and ruin his career. I hate him, but I would never go that far.

Matt admits, “She didn’t break up with me. She started talking to Grey out of nowhere. I didn’t know what was going on. And then I see them kissing, so I…”

Coach Burk snaps, “You two are acting like two little schoolboys fighting over a girl. This is not acceptable. It’s time for you both to grow up. You’re dismissed from practice.”

“Coach,” Matt pleads.

I shake my head.

Coach Burk says, “If you two come back without solving anything, you won’t be playing in the game this week.”

I glance up at Matt, livid.

“One day,” Coach says with his pointer finger out. “Figure it out. You’re excused.”

Matt walks out first. There’s nothing this guy loves more than hockey, and I’m the same. In the past, we have settled our differences to make hockey work. I already know that this is going to be an easy solution. We grab our things and head out.

“Just the person we need,” Matt scoffs as we enter the main room.

Madison Wilder is sitting on the chair with a book in her hand. She looks at us, confused.

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